The (dash) board room: Turning an old Mercedes into an office

A South African designer has turned the dashboard from an old Mercedes SL's into a desk, the seats into desk chairs and the rear-view mirror into a desk lamp

The dials have been recycled from an old Mercedes SL as three clocks (for different time zones). The desk has pen-holders made from the pedals

For many people, recycling simply means separating the bottles and newspapers from the rest of the rubbish.

But a South African designer has taken the eco dream a little further – turning an old Mercedes SL into a real, working office, where everything from gear shifts to fan units finds a ‘new life’ as desktop gizmos and gadgets.

The dashboard was retooled as a set of drawers and storage spaces, with all trace of the car's engine and electronics removed

Normally, the old parts would simply be crushed – but over 12 weeks, Katie Thompson of Recreate turned the dashboard into a desk, the seats into desk chairs and the rear-view mirror into a desk lamp.

The drilled holes in the brake pedals made them perfect for holding pens, so they found a new life as stationery holders.

The dashboard dials have been converted to clocks.

Thompson also sells furniture made out of old luggage, and typewriters ‘recycled’ into keyboards.

recreate.co.za.net

The handles on the filing cabinets (pictured right) are made from three Mercedes gear shifts